Slideshows Yunnan
Lincang Prefecture 临沧市

Nanmei, on the slopes of a large valley not far from Lincang City, is the center of Lincang's Lahu and possibly the only place in Yunnan where the Lahu still wear traditional dress in everyday life.

Watersplashing in a Dai village south of Lincang.

Nansan 南伞 right on the Burmese border has some colourful minorities -- Dai, Deang and some very well-dressed Miao -- who attend the five-daily market.

Most Wa people have now been resettled in modern villages near the road, but one village is holding out: Wending village in Cangyuan. Well, actually Wengding is a modern tourism attraction, but besides the entrance fee, the museum and the cultural activities (on holidays), it remains a living village where life goes on as it has for ages. Well, minus the head-hunting, but the old men smiled when asked about it.

And now for something completely different: that is what Cangyuan's tourism advisers must have said when they came up with the Cangyuan Sigangli Monihei Carnival. The meaning of the words has 'long' been lost, but locals seem to love it and the festival has acquired quite a following in the region.

Whoever said there was nothing of ethnic interest in central Lincang should take a close look at Wumulong, a small township below the mighty Daxueshan in Yongde county. Young and old, (some) men and (many) women don the traditional garb, complete with silver breast-plates.